A new photo claiming to show the retail packaging for Apple's long-awaited Mac mini refresh has surfaced online, adding to speculation that March will serve as launch pad for several new desktop Macs.

The new image (below), published by OneMoreThing.nl, depicts what could be the backside of a shrink-wrapped Mac mini-sized retail box.

Shown on the box is a photo of Mac mini with ports for Ethernet, FireWire 800, Mini DVI, and Mini DisplayPort, as well as 5 USB connectors. All of these ports match up with descriptions (1, 2) of a next-generation Mac mini published in early January by AppleInsider.

The image of the Mac mini in the photo also appears identical to the system that cropped up last month in a still photo and video walk-around.

While the authenticity of the latest image remains suspect, it joins rumblings this week that six new Apple product part numbers have recently turned up in the inventory system of a large overseas reseller. Obvious speculation would suggest these could represent 4 new iMac configurations and 2 new Mac mini configurations.

The source of the photo also told OneMoreThing.nl that the mini refresh would arrive alongside new iMacs that support up to 8GB of RAM and 1TB of hard disk space.

It's long been rumored, and corroborated twice over (1, 2), that new Mac mini and iMac desktops would surface sometime in early 2009 with chipsets from NVIDIA. A NVIDIA graphics icon on the rear of the purported Mac mini box would seem to be consistent with those claims.

Update: Here's a much larger version of the photo, provided to us by MacFreak.nl, which also received the image this morning. They claim it was taken with an HTC Touch Diamond in a low-light setting. The image does not appear to be edited, leaving suspicion to surround only the original item that was photographed.

Regardless of what it looks like I would love to see HDMI on this. Obviously I can just buy some cables like mini dvi to hdmi but having the ability to do video and audio over the one hdmi cable would be nice especially since so many people/companies use these for in house demos.

I personally just want one to hook up in my living room as a media hub. I have an Apple TV, but will be selling it cause of it's lack of features once the new mini comes out.

Regardless of what it looks like I would love to see HDMI on this. Obviously I can just buy some cables like mini dvi to hdmi but having the ability to do video and audio over the one hdmi cable would be nice especially since so many people/companies use these for in house demos.

I personally just want one to hook up in my living room as a media hub. I have an Apple TV, but will be selling it cause of it's lack of features once the new mini comes out.

DVI doesn't do audio so you're looking for DisplayPort to HDMI when DisplayPort gets around to supporting audio (eventually) if HDMI ports aren't added.

I'd love to see 5 USB ports and FW800. I'd forgo upgrading my mini and get a new one.

He's a mod so he has a few extra vBulletin privileges. That doesn't mean he should stop posting or should start acting like Digital Jesus.- SolipsismX

A new photo claiming to show the retail packaging for Apple's long-awaited Mac mini refresh has surfaced online, adding to speculation that March will serve as launch pad for several new desktop Macs. ...

Still don't know if I believe the idea that the Mac mini (which hasn't been updated in such a long time), is going to come out with essentially the same form factor and appearance as it's always had. I suppose it could be true, but it doesn't feel right somehow. On the other hand the mini has never been anything that could be called exciting design-wise, so who knows?

For those looking for evidence of fakery, I would point out that anyone can shrink wrap a cardboard box. Also, the Styrofoam in the background is the same as that which came with the original Mac mini. This kind of implies that they are still going with the same anti-environmental packaging as the original, which kind of stretches credulity a bit if true, but on the other hand, if the "new" mini is still unopened, then the packaging could be from an earlier model. On the other, other hand, if you have a new retail package of a mini, why not open it up and take some inside shots?

In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...

As I said before, the guy who posted the video could only have built the thing in two ways: fill in the DVI port without seams using the exact same plastic as the Mini and drill out the new port holes with a dremel OR mould an entirely new back for a current Mini with all the fins and ports correct.

Now there's professional packaging made with 802.11n and Nvidia logos.

There's no way someone would go to this much trouble to just fool people into thinking the Mini will have these features.

The packaging certainly raises the question about when exactly these things will be shipping. After all, why would it reach this stage more than 3 weeks early if the 24th is the launch date?

I have a suspicion that the Mini and iMac may not see an overhaul but something similar to the white Macbook in which case they could arrive as early as tomorrow.

I am amazed by all the people who, without any analysis or thought just yell: "FAKE". Let's look at this logically and constructively.

A box has SIX (6), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 sides: Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front and Back. This image ONLY displays ONE, (1) side, not all six. Neither does it show a "depth" photo of the box, thus you can only get a 2D impression of its dimensions and not a 3D representation.

I have already heard the following justifications for it being a fake.

"It shows the back of the mini"Response: So does the real box of the current mini.
NB! The real box of the current model shows the back in a top-view angle, which means you can see the Apple logo. That is something that you can't do in this image, so it is possible it could be a fake.

"The box is too big and goes against Apple's new 'small package policy'"
Response: As I stated earlier, we can only see 2 dimensions, I presume are hight and width, not depth. Thus it is hard to determine how big the volume of this box actually is.

"The outer design is the same as the old mini"
Well, while this is only SPECULATION on my part, reasons for this could be:

(1) IF Apple reduces the price, in order to keep costs down, they may want to avoid R&D costs and thus keep the overall outer design the same or similar.

(2) Apple just doesn't wan to update the design. Mind you, it has been roughly 1.5 years since the last update to the mini which clearly illustrates that it's not a priority (unfortunately) for Apple.

This is my brief 2 cents amateur analysis, but one I hope can keep the comments constructive and relevant instead of bashing someone for trying to convey (for what ever reason) something.

Now, if someone has PROF that the box is a fake, either you made it, you took the photo, etc. they you have a valid argument to support your claim that the photo is fake. But unless you have EVIDENCE to support this, then please shut up and don't claim its a fake. We can at best, only presume wether it is a fake or not.

I honestly can't imagine why the BACK of the mini would be featured on the box. Apple is about keeping things simple and clean, and the back of the mini while possibly eye candy for uber-geeks (ZOMG, its got teh 5 USB), is not consumer friendly at all. In fact, it can look very scary and intimidating, not what you want for the lowest cost-of-entry mac on the market. It looks great for those of us who will use it as a media center hooked up to their TV (like me ), but it just doesn't fit Apple's style.

Quote:

A box has SIX (6), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 sides: Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front and Back. This image ONLY displays ONE, (1) side, not all six. Neither does it show a "depth" photo of the box, thus you can only get a 2D impression of its dimensions and not a 3D representation.

Just for comparison, here is the box of previous Mac minis
Front:
Back:

I honestly can't imagine why the BACK of the mini would be featured on the box. Apple is about keeping things simple and clean, and the back of the mini while possibly eye candy for uber-geeks (ZOMG, its got teh 5 USB), is not consumer friendly at all. In fact, it can look very scary and intimidating, not what you want for the lowest cost-of-entry mac on the market. It looks great for those of us who will use it as a media center hooked up to their TV (like me ), but it just doesn't fit Apple's style.

When you go to any Apple Store you never see the box anyway, until you decide to buy it.
Most computer stores don't keep stacks of Mac mini boxes in full view.

You guys need to face the hard truth that Apple has no real incentive to make the Mac mini any more aesthetically enticing that it already is.

I think it's still very debatable whether this thing is real or not. Previous fakes have seemed even more certain and were more believable than this one. Not to say that it definitely *is* fake, just that it still could be.

I'm not sure what the point of that Wifi icon is for example. WiFi is in all Apple products and is ubiquitous. I'm not sure why even if they upgraded it to the "n" spec, they would need to put a giant icon on the box to indicate that.

And what's that middle icon? an intel ad? If it's supposed to be nVidia then it might make sense, but the original intel icon on the original mini was put there to indicate that it was one of the new ones and not PPC anymore. There is no need to keep doing the advertising if there are no PPC versions to sell anymore.

There are other things that I find suspicious also, but mostly I just wanted to point out that it's far from certain this is real or fake so your conclusion is a bit mean and a bit off the mark.

In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...

I think it's still very debatable whether this thing is real or not. Previous fakes have seemed even more certain and were more believable than this one. Not to say that it definitely *is* fake, just that it still could be.

I'm not sure what the point of that Wifi icon is for example. WiFi is in all Apple products and is ubiquitous. I'm not sure why even if they upgraded it to the "n" spec, they would need to put a giant icon on the box to indicate that.

And what's that middle icon? an intel ad? If it's supposed to be nVidia then it might make sense, but the original intel icon on the original mini was put there to indicate that it was one of the new ones and not PPC anymore. There is no need to keep doing the advertising if there are no PPC versions to sell anymore.

There are other things that I find suspicious also, but mostly I just wanted to point out that it's far from certain this is real or fake so your conclusion is a bit mean and a bit off the mark.

That middle icon is the same one they use for the NVIDIA chip:

I don't know why the Airport icon would be so prominent on the back unless it was integral to some feature like Time Capsule backup integration.

I don't know why the Airport icon would be so prominent on the back unless it was integral to some feature like Time Capsule backup integration.

So considering the third icon on the original was an Apple remote, (basically a filler icon), then this new line-up is possibly real again, because the WiFi icon could similarly be a placeholder of sorts or perhaps they have upgraded to "n" as well.

I keep returning to my very first thought about this thing when the rumoured pictures first starting to appear. *If* it's real, it's possibly the most boring upgrade of any Apple product in recent memory.

I really hope they don't have any special event to announce the new products if this and the upgraded iMacs and Mac Pros is all they have. It will only engender a round of news coverage along the lines of how boring things are now that Steve is "gone" and so forth. If this truly is the mini, I don't know why they wouldn't just sneak it out onto the page at the Apple site instead of waiting for some "event."

In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...

I keep returning to my very first thought about this thing when the rumoured pictures first starting to appear. *If* it's real, it's possibly the most boring upgrade of any Apple product in recent memory.

it would also be the most boring & unApple-like packaging in recent memory.

That package is amateurish & boring in every way.

The photo of the package has some very curious lighting (lower right hand corner, light where I believe there should be shadow) which leads me to believe that's a picture not of an entire box, but just a single side. Perhaps it's a "real" photo of mock-up packaging. Additionally, things just don't look proper in the upper-right hand corner of the package - seems like there should be much more depth to the box than what the photo indicates.

ok, ok. Given that the package actually very much resembles real mac mini packaging....I have to admit, it's probably real...But, ugh.

I think it's still very debatable whether this thing is real or not. Previous fakes have seemed even more certain and were more believable than this one.

Really? Examples?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I'm not sure what the point of that Wifi icon is for example. WiFi is in all Apple products and is ubiquitous. I'm not sure why even if they upgraded it to the "n" spec, they would need to put a giant icon on the box to indicate that.

Think about it this way. If these spy shots are to be believed and the Mac mini isn't undergoing any major aesthetic changes, Apple is going to promote every under-the-hood change they can. Moving from G to N Wireless would be both major and something they otherwise couldn't illustrate (unlike the new video ports, the extra USB port, and the new FW800 port).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

And what's that middle icon? an intel ad? If it's supposed to be nVidia then it might make sense, but the original intel icon on the original mini was put there to indicate that it was one of the new ones and not PPC anymore. There is no need to keep doing the advertising if there are no PPC versions to sell anymore.

That's another example of a major change that would otherwise be invisible to the customer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

There are other things that I find suspicious also, but mostly I just wanted to point out that it's far from certain this is real or fake so your conclusion is a bit mean and a bit off the mark.

How am I being mean? I didn't even say "this is real, get over it." I said Apple has no incentive to change the Mac mini aesthetically and that is true. They don't want to spur growth in their least profitable Mac, especially during this economic downturn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

So considering the third icon on the original was an Apple remote, (basically a filler icon), then this new line-up is possibly real again, because the WiFi icon could similarly be a placeholder of sorts or perhaps they have upgraded to "n" as well.

What!? The original Mac mini's Apple remote icon was not "filler" or a "placeholder," there was an Apple remote packaged inside!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I keep returning to my very first thought about this thing when the rumoured pictures first starting to appear. *If* it's real, it's possibly the most boring upgrade of any Apple product in recent memory.